Feedback Request, Mosaic: Tomb of Mystery - Reflexive Entertainment [Archive]

fnBrit

02-28-2006, 12:25 AM

Hello Everybody,

Reflexive Entertainment Inc. is getting close to releasing it's new game Mosaic: Tomb of Mystery, and we would love to get some feedback/testing help from you :)

Game Download Link (http://arcade.reflexive.com/downloadgame.aspx?AID=492&CID=0)
Screenshot 1 Link (http://www.mosaicgame.com/images/screenshots/SS06.jpg)
Screenshot 2 Link (http://www.mosaicgame.com/images/screenshots/SS03.jpg)
Screenshor 3 Link (http://www.mosaicgame.com/images/screenshots/SS01.jpg)
Screenshot 4 Link (http://www.mosaicgame.com/images/screenshots/SS04.jpg)
Web Site Link (http://www.mosaicgame.com/)

The current version is a Beta release, the upsell screens are not final and we just noticed that the credits screen isn't working properly, other than that I would love to hear your feedback on any gameplay and/or technical issues, etc.

Best regards.

DadTimesTwo

02-28-2006, 02:59 AM

This is the third Reflexive game in a row I've tried that crashes just moments after loading. One was Adventure Ball. The other was Gravity Drive. And now this one. I get a black screen and then the game dumps to desktop. It happens at different times each time I load a game but always before gameplay begins.

svero

02-28-2006, 03:57 AM

Wow! This game is Fantastic. This is Reflexive's nicest looking game so far. I'm a huge fan of this graphically. I like *almost* everything about it.

In particular 2 things I disliked..

1) too much tutorial. Long unweildy boring and uneccesary. There are a few things that arent immediately obvious, like the unfolding stuff but that can be better explained by letting players discover it on their own or simply with a little in game hint. I really dont think this level of hand holding is necessary.

2) The narrator. Now I realize you can turn off the narration, but to my mind I'd save a few megs off the download size and kill the voice completely. It really ads nothing to the game. Actually it greatly detracted from my enjoyment until i figured out I could turn it off.

Mike Boeh

02-28-2006, 07:05 AM

I have been looking forward to this one for a while now, and it lives up to expectations. I love all the little effects and polishing it has. As I told James,"This game is one tutorial subtraction away from being a Luxor-like smash hit." It might be a smash anyway.....

Bmc

02-28-2006, 07:20 AM

from the screens I though this would be another Puzzle Inlay clone, but it adds so much.

I especially like the fill out mechanic.

svero

02-28-2006, 08:06 AM

This game brings up a general struggle that I see happening. It happened for me with Beetle Bomp and for Kahuna Words and other titles. Namely.. When you take a concept thats popular and you want to try and make a derivitive game from it, it's very tempting to add gameplay features, like the folding out mechanism in this game, or catching sparks in Beetle Bomp or sliding tiles in kahuna words.

But then as soon as you start adding little features to the gameplay like that you take 1 step away from the simplicity that often is a large part of why the original game was successful in the first place. That's the nice thing about zuma. It's simple. Just aim and shoot. If you add a second thing to do.. say catch stuff, it can turn some players off or confuse them. That's especially true because they come into the game with certain prejuidices. They think they already know how it shoud play so they're not looking for or sometimes ignoring and not understanding your innovation.

Like in Jewel Quest. It took me a while to figure out the backgrounds were changing color and that the game was more than just a simple bejeweled clone. Sometimes it works really well, as it did in JQ, and sometimes it doesn't. The folding out is kind of a nice one in the sense that it's not essential to win the game. You can play without folding. So as a player you have a chance to discover it later on and still enjoy the basic game.

I think its a general struggle anyone who wants to make a clone of a simple game faces though. How to mod this without breaking it? How can I add an extra step/idea without makign the game too complex or confusing fans of the original mechanic?

fnBrit

02-28-2006, 08:45 AM

DadTimesTwo: could you post your system spec here so we can try to get to the bottom of why the game does not seem to work on your system? Specifically, what OS, and what video card you have? Thanks :)

svero: We initially had concerns about the way the tutorial is mostly up-front rather than being integrated more throughout the game and less obtrusive, but during beta testing we have found that most end users seem to really enjoy the way they are told about the basic concepts. Perhaps with a little more time we would have pulled more elements from the initial tutorial delivery deeper into the main part of the game? It is difficult to strike a balance between not shoving too much information in peoples faces too soon, and ensuring that they try enough cool things that can be done in the game so that they will not think too much about a purchase decision.

As for taking a derivative idea and struggling not to dilute what was the essence of enjoyement from the original concept, we tried to be very careful to remain true to the original core here. None of the additional features in Mosaic are designed to be essential to complete any level in the game. All the extra 'sparkle' (for want of a better term) is meant to be exactly that, features that are completely optional but add an intensely rewarding layer on top of the core mechanic which the player can use to make the whole thing seem more exciting - if that's what they want - and our testing indicates that for the most part people are responding to it in a very positive way :)

DadTimesTwo

02-28-2006, 08:56 AM

...what OS and what video card you have?

I'm using Windows XP Home Edition. My video card is a Diamond S120 256MB DDR Radeon 9550. I've got plenty of RAM and processing speed. Thanks!

fnBrit

02-28-2006, 10:52 AM

Is anybody else seeing the game die early on? So far this is the only report we are hearing of anybody here or in our beta test group (about 65 people) experiencing the game not functioning.

Thanks for your help :)

Simon.

Skinflint

02-28-2006, 12:20 PM

svero brings up a good point and that's adding a twist to a known game mechanic. Sometimes it's complimentary, sometimes it's not, and other times you're uncertain.

In this case, some of the things we added (like the Foldout) are not intuitive, but hopefully you dont have to use it to enjoy the game. Other things, like the Lightning Shapes, just work without having to know how to use them AND with practice, adds something to the game that wasn't there before.

One of the craziest things I saw during testing was watching an older lady play it (VERY casual, did nothing but pick up pieces and place them fairly slowly) and a 15 year old boy play it, side by side, in the same room. It would have been hard to imagine different playing styles. The older lady was moving as slow as molasses, and the 15 year old was clicking and moving stuff around like crazy, clicking on the Obelisk, using Power Ups as fast as he could, etc. Both enjoyed the game, but almost seemed to be playing a different game from their reactions.

That gave me some hope that the new things that we added CAN be used, but dont HAVE to be used to enjoy the game mechanic. We'll see...

Sirrus

02-28-2006, 02:59 PM

Very nice...

Reflexive always has great polish...

fnBrit

02-28-2006, 03:02 PM

It looks like the top most piece on the conveyor (on the left) would fit great?

Sirrus

02-28-2006, 03:09 PM

It looks like the top most piece on the conveyor (on the left) would fit great?

I actually adjusted my post when I looked at that screenshot again. I think you are correct - it was just odd at first look.

joe

02-28-2006, 04:03 PM

Very nice game. It's always nice to see that you are trying to push a lot of innovative elements into your games.

vjvj

02-28-2006, 05:04 PM

Nice graphics! I'll be giving this one a shot later tonight...

Curiosoft

02-28-2006, 05:20 PM

Hi,

I played the game. Here's the feedback...

1) I like the intro reflexive video

2) I played the game....and kind of got annoyed when I had to click on things perfectly or more than once to have them register as a click. I also got confused in one of the beginning buttons (I think it was continue)...I thought the little crack between the continue segment and the rest of the base was just for show...I didn't know the button ended near there.

3) I also got annoyed when I tried to click on a square and my piece was not exactly on top of it. When I clicked nothing happened. It seemed as If I had to be perfectly on top of a location to place it down.

4) I wish the lady's voice sounded sexier. Right now, it sounds kind of teacher-ish. The story is compelling and draws me in. With a sweeter sounding chick as the guide...everything would be perfect.

5) I'm not exactly sure if there is rhyme or reason to holding down a square...and then having additional things around it get filled up. Is it random...or is there some consistent logic behind it. I thought it was cool....but kind of random.

6) I feel this is a really cool and addictive game. I played it longer than I expected. The mystery combined with the gameplay inspired me to keep on playing. I felt totally immersed in the game. If the clicking was a bit smoother and the voice sounded much more sexy...I'd be in heaven :)

Later,
Curiosoft

stanchat

03-01-2006, 12:05 AM

This is about the best casual game I have played in a looong time. Everything fits together so nicely. Being able to use the mousewheel as a functional part of the game is waay cool. The foldout technique is a nice added touch. I like the fact the placement of the pieces have to be somewhat precise.

Good Jobs Guys!!

Now the question is can this title catch up and surpass BFG - Mystery Case Files as the Cadilac of casual games? Now that will be a battle of titans.

fnBrit

03-01-2006, 08:08 AM

Haha! Thanks stanchat. We just put out first release candidate together so hopefully we'll see how the game performs fairly soon.

Simon.

svero

03-01-2006, 08:23 AM

One of the craziest things I saw during testing was watching an older lady play it (VERY casual, did nothing but pick up pieces and place them fairly slowly) and a 15 year old boy play it, side by side, in the same room. It would have been hard to imagine different playing styles. The older lady was moving as slow as molasses, and the 15 year old was clicking and moving stuff around like crazy, clicking on the Obelisk, using Power Ups as fast as he could, etc. Both enjoyed the game, but almost seemed to be playing a different game from their reactions.

You know this is kind of a really interesting statement in that.. It makes me think.. Maybe some of the popularity of games has to do with how well they naturally, through their design, adapt to how random different people play. Imagine for instance a shooter where you could take out a base by either being really quick and great with the controls, or alternately by using a lot of strategy like using explosives placed around the level or luring enemies into better fight positions. To have it just naturally fall out would mean the game, in a sense, automagically appeals to both kinds of gamers thus increasing it's overall appeal to a general audience. We often think that increasing a games accessibility is to dumb it down and to make it less exciting for particular players who really go in for a particular niche. But instead of that, perhaps its worth thinking.. ok what if I play the game really fast? What happens? What if I play the game really slow? How might slow more careful moves compensate for lost speed? and so on...

Raptisoft

03-01-2006, 09:19 AM

Be sure to let me know how the old ladies do at your shooter, Steve. Maybe you could make it turn based? ;)

svero

03-01-2006, 10:07 AM

Be sure to let me know how the old ladies do at your shooter, Steve. Maybe you could make it turn based? ;)

Well I just used the shooter as an example of a game that might appeal to both action or strategy gamers. A game that might appeal to old ladies and err.. me... might be this reflexive one. Obviously some subject matter limits itself right from the start. (although perhaps you're underestimating the number of cranky old ladies that want a little gunplay..)

berserker

03-01-2006, 10:13 AM

Just checked this out and I found this one truly the best of the breed :rolleyes:
Overall I liked Inlay games but I thought games from PuzzleLab/GameHouse was somewhat downbeat and I felt this genre is a bit played out (after that big number of Inlay games and clones). After trying this game I was amazed how much can be added to the game that was made zillion times before. You inspired me to take a second look at other games I considered played out too :)

Lightning feature was mesmerizing and ease of play due to number of special power-ups was very conveincing. I also like how you made three paths with different shapes. I predict we will see more games with non-linear story progression soon (probably even with scrolling map ;) ).

I have some complains though:
- Sound was awful and unbalanced - crushing pieces and lightning strikes sounds were too loud and voice not very interesting. I also heard random clicks - some noise or smth like that - I am not audio guy to correctly identify those artifacts.
- I felt owerwhelmed with huge number of things to do and tutorial had to much things happening at the same time - moving pieces, text to read, voice to listen to, etc. I sugest introducing couple of features right from the start and enable other cool features and powerups after few levels. This way player will have fun with every feature long enough to enjoy each one.
- While loading rotating diamond was displayed over black rectangle. I guess it's minor glitch.
- Oh, and that title screen girl doesn't look like egyptean. She looked more like Angelina Jolie going to some kind of carnival :D I suppose egypteans have to have darker skin and different face features.

P.S. funny moment to note: James C. Smith told me (http://forums.indiegamer.com/showpost.php?p=75058&postcount=7) he does not care much about Inlay games not too long ago and now Reflexive ended up releasing inlay-like game

James C. Smith

03-01-2006, 12:37 PM

Obviously Mosaic was in development for a long time and was very far along when I posted that statement. Mosaic was the reason I didn't want to be critiquing other people's "Inlay" games.

Skinflint

03-01-2006, 02:33 PM

First, thanks for the compliments Yaroslav. This game has been a real whirlwind around here, and I'm glad that most of the initial reactions to the game have been positive.

That said... :)

Really? Awful and unbalanced? Is the comment refering to the two sounds that you mentioned, or were there other sounds that didn't seem right as well?

Could you be more specific as to where the clicks were heard? Were you playing a level or were you in-between levels listening to the voice?

I agree that we could have/should have gotten a more sexy and younger sounding voice...

As far as the lady on the Main Menu goes, the funny thing is, one of the people that couldn't try out for the voice acting part (she had other obligations) was FROM Egypt and her picture looked almost exactly like the image that our artist put together (which was one of the reasons that I was excited to have her try out for the part). Funny how different people have different expectations of what someone from Egypt looks like...

berserker

03-01-2006, 04:10 PM

Well, maybe "awful" was too harsh word :), but it was my first impression that some sounds were way too loud comparing to others. In particular - thing that crushes pieces sound, lightning and explosion effects. To my understanding this is relaxing game and sound background should flow gently not to scare or annoy player with too dissociative moments. Other sfx was ok, I've even recognized some Big Kahuna Reef heritage :) Regarding clicks - perhaps it wasn't really clicks but I think there are some side noises or something like that on voice recordings. They sound like not very clean, maybe it's just mp3 compression quality. I've replayed the game trying to reproduce them but haven't found anything. Probably it was just general impression caused by low bitrate for voiceovers...

Speaking about Egyptean girl - well I think I am representing common person's image. I watched movies like Cleopatra and that's where my stereotypical thoughts about that came from :)
But nothing to worry about, I doubt it would influence sales. The fact that you've got so few complains from me means you have an extremely polished game as I usually have so much critique that I restrain myself from posting in "News and annuncements" not to make anyone feel offended :o

Kaos

03-02-2006, 03:34 AM

ok I like this game! Not boring in the least.

Will be adding this to my "games to purchase list".

Great job!

as far as betas go, James, this is alot better than the Big Kahuna Word, beta that I sampled last year, for sure!

40 min is not much of a demo time, granted more than some games, (30 min). Is this due to a lack of levels?

I really like the lightening pieces, kind of the equivalent to bombs in alot of puzzle games.

Grey Alien

03-02-2006, 05:33 AM

huh my demo time was 60 mins.

Anyway yeah it looks great, and is an enjoyable game, I'm sure it will do well.

I noticed this too
- While loading rotating diamond was displayed over black rectangle. I guess it's minor glitch.

Also the narrators voice sounds quite compressed to me, I never like flash animations with that grainy type sound, it just grates with me. I guess it could be sexier but then who is the target audience?

Lightening is cool.

After the tutorial I played a few levels and then when I came here I realised I hadn't used the bird or the fold out technique at all.

On the "Congratualations" screen there are two buttons at the bottom Back and OK. Both have a green piece of "art" around them. This art look like an arrow to me and it is pointing the wrong was for the word i.e. Back is pointing right and OK is pointing left. This seems wrong. small point but htere you go.

Good luck with this.

I expect more similar clones now.

fnBrit

03-02-2006, 08:03 AM

Differing demo times huh? ;)

Actually we are doing an experiment. During our soft launch period for the game there are actually 8 versions posted, with demo times ranging from 20 to 90 minutes in 10 minute increments, we are analysing the conversion rate for each version to determine what the optimum demo/trial time is for this product.

Grey Alien

03-02-2006, 08:09 AM

very sneaky. Mine was the norm time of 60mins so I didn't spot anything going on. Do you know if reflexive will/can do this for other games as I'm about to release another game on Reflexive?

Leper

03-02-2006, 08:09 AM

Not another puzzle inlay clone!! :(

Aside from that.. the game looks to have outstanding production values, stuff that AAA 2D titles have. So I'm very impressed with the graphics, I bet it plays smooth as well. It will do very well in sales I'm afraid. Although, I must admit, I'm dead sick of puzzle games selling!

fnBrit

03-02-2006, 08:25 AM

Currently we do not have a super great method in place for running these kinda of tests on any game we chose (other Reflexivians please chime in if I'm off base on this), it required manual setting up for each of the versions, and the writing of server side scripts to get mosaicgame.com to select a different (trackable) download link for each person who visits the site.

And yes, I know Mosaic is another inlay style game, but we really like it and think the additional play mechanics we layered on top of the basic core found in other inlay type games make this one significantly different. But point taken, so now onto bigger and more innovative things :)

Simon.

svero

03-02-2006, 10:33 AM

Moderation Note : I moved the posts about shooters to a new topic to leave this thread about reflexive's new game. It's called "Can shooters sell?" under indie related chat if anyone wants to continue discussing it.

Kaos

03-07-2006, 07:11 AM

found a bug in the game!

I was playing relaxed mode (sorry unsure what level) and when the next level loaded, the shapes were on 1 side as always, but the right side where the pieces go was gone, left behind by a blue screen. So I left the game and came back, and the blue screen was still there.

Also tried another profile and when I switched profiles, the game just closed, and I had about 15 min left of game play.

great game though, would like to see these things fixed and have another try at a newer version.

Skinflint

03-07-2006, 09:22 AM

Martoon

03-07-2006, 11:51 AM

Very nicely done! I like the enhancements to the inlay formula. The folding out pieces are nice, and the lightning pieces are especially fun (very satisfying when placed well).

I also found the tutorial went on a bit too much for my taste.

When I turned off the narrator in my options, it didn't turn off. I even quit my game, confirmed that it was still set to off in the options, and started my game again, and it still had a narrator. Also, before each tutorial picture came up, there was a long pause (about 4 to 5 seconds) where I couldn't move my mouse and nothing happened, then the picture would appear and things would resume.

I'm running WinXP with the latest service pack on an Athlon 64 3200+ with 1GB RAM and a GeForce 6200.

If you need any more info or would like me to try anything else, PM me (I'm not subscribed to this thread).

Kaos

03-08-2006, 06:47 AM

Hello Kaos,

Did you play a previous build and then download a new version?

I ask this because there was a discrepancy in how the game loaded information from one build to another and this caused some peoples games to experience a problem just like the one you are reporting.

no I only tried 1 version, I am not aware that there were other versions, your direct link on the 1st page of this topic, was broken. So I went here: http://www.mosaicgame.com and used the version linked to that page.

Is there another build to try, and if so will I revert back to the 3 min that I have left of this version to play?

Could there be a problem with the fact that I never upgraded to SP2?

From what I played, I liked, I love the "expand" or "roll out" potential that each piece has.